When TVOntario executive producer and director Stan Lipsey was faced with a shrinking budget combined with an increasing arts mandate, he came up with his own solution, the future.

The 12-part program, which began airing Jan. 12, is tvo’s latest contribution to the world of culture: a weekly electronic magazine that examines the interplay between art and technology. Internet, virtual reality sex, and random access imagery are just a few of the topics that will be explored in the new series, featuring such guests as William Gibson (science fiction author and godfather of cyberpunk), Henry See (Montreal artist and computer wizard) and actor/ director Danny DeVito (Hoffa, Twins, Throw Mama From the Train, etc).

The show does not have a host per se, but still manages to cover two to three stories per episode using traditional video techniques combined with layered visuals, multiple moving text and a smorgasbord of information.

Lipsey’s concept has taken off dramatically from its somewhat simple starting point:

‘It began as a concept that the general public – young people especially – are tired of hearing visions of the future from educators and scientists, acceptable prognosticators. Their predictions (were) definitely lacking. In fact, there was no vision of the future. We did some research and found that the most excited and energetic creators out there were those involved in the technological side of the arts.’

Convergence

Indeed, Lipsey’s interest in the changing face of media seems all too timely, given the developments in convergence. He claims the one appliance of the future is the computer screen. ‘All television, all alphanumeric information, all still photography – all communication in and out of your house – will be coming in on one monitor. How it’s delivered is the convergence revolution.

‘The viewer will be able to manipulate the imagery as well as the program, and the ability to navigate through the myriad of choices will be a prized one. We’re on the cusp of being able to load full-action video with stereo and send pictures with sound out to each other as easily as words. This 500-channel universe is just the beginning.’

Lipsey is not new to the game of change. When he was brought in to do some troubleshooting on Imprint in its first season, he chose Daniel Richler as the new host to boost the image of the show. After only a few seasons, though, Lipsey was once again forced to make changes when the dubious task of finding a replacement to fill Richler’s shoes fell to him.

The show had been developed around the illustrious personality ‘like a close-fitting suit,’ so when Richler departed, many felt the program was doomed. This view was never shared by Lipsey, because, in his words, ‘there is a need for the show whoever is heading it up – there is nobody else doing a weekly, literary popular cultural show about the written word.’

Lipsey cites many bad examples of this type of show, mainly from the u.s., where ‘they end up playing classical music, being very dead and falling into all the pitfalls we have carefully tried to avoid: don’t be pedantic, don’t be dry, don’t be overly concerned with form. (Our topics range from) the influence of the Barbie doll one week to the influence of Freud the next.’

Life at its best

The program works on the belief that ‘reading is not a safe, dusty thing to do but is filled with sedition, danger and life at its very best.’

Lipsey eventually chose Guy Lawson, whose background is based primarily in radio broadcasting, with no prior tv experience. He brought a writerly sensibility to the show, and has come a long way in his short time on it. In Lipsey’s opinion, ‘He’s got the goods… and he hasn’t peaked yet.’

Lipsey began producing in the late seventies for both Global Television and the cbc, then went on to the CTV Television Network to work on a variety of productions before arriving at tvo. He has been with Imprint now for five years, but has also managed to involve himself in a number of outside projects.

Media testament

One of his favorite concepts became Blood, Sweat and Tape, a media testament to the Telefest Awards, a competition that invites university and other post-secondary students to enter their animated projects, short documentaries, music videos, etc.

The clever twist to this awards show is that all the winners taped and produced their acceptance speeches individually. There were also comic interludes dealing with the topics of filmmaking, job hunting, and, you guessed it, awards shows. Interspersed between these elements were students talking about the people who most influenced them, as well as some video resumes – a talking, walking (sometimes sitting) presentation of young hopefuls doing their best to appeal to that special viewer. The end result was a creative, humorous tribute to the media arts ingenues.

Lipsey isn’t new to the world of comedy, in fact he may have been the first person to put the Frantics on tv back in 1980 when he worked for Global, and has since aided Frantic member Rick Green (The Red Green Show, Prisoners of Gravity) in various projects, notably a comedy show raising funds for the Casey House Hospice for aids victims last November.

Lipsey often cites Leanna Crouch, another producer at tvo (who is also producer on the future), when talking about his projects. He recognizes the medium of tv for what it is: ‘It’s collaborative. Sometimes it involves thousands of people to get something on the air, there are millions watching – you can’t take complete responsibility.’

Full of opportunity

Lipsey sees the changes in store for television as a playground full of opportunity. ‘This (convergence) is much more democratic than what we have now, much is uncontrolled because it’s so big. There’s still the spirit of frontiers mentality – we’re on the edge, anything goes. Nobody’s corralled it in, yet.’

Perhaps that mentality will enable Lipsey to create his idea of the perfect program: ‘My first love is comedy, but my training is in reality tv – to marry the two in some idealized project, a serious theme show… yeah… but I haven’t invented it yet.’

Maybe after the future…

sarah-jane walmsley is a second-year media writing student in the Radio and Television Arts program at Ryerson Polytechnic University in Toronto.